Mac OS X only: The popular VoIP application Skype has released a killer new beta for Macs, adding new features like screen sharing and Skype Access, a great new Wi-Fi access tool.

NOTE: There appears to be a hiccup in Skype's web site right now, so you may have trouble following the links below or downloading until they're fixed.

Skype Access

Skype knows that a big hurdle keeping its users from enjoying Skype everywhere is the cost of Wi-Fi access on the go. With Skype Access, you get to pay for access by-the-minute at any of 100,000 Boingo Wi-Fi spots for around $0.19 per minute. Under some circumstances you'd still be better off paying for full access, but it's an interesting direction. Boingo is the only Wi-Fi provider currently supported, though it seems very likely that Skype would be happy to integrate with more providers in the future.

Screen Sharing

The next big thing from the new Skype beta is screen sharing—that is, sharing what you see on your monitor with the person you're chatting with or vice versa. OS X has had screen sharing built into iChat since the release of Leopard, but if you never use iChat but spend a lot of time with Skype, this could be a great new feature.

Although screen sharing is currently only available for Skype 2.8 beta for the Mac, Mac users can still share their screens with Windows and Linux users running Skype.

Other New Features

Apart from Skype Access and screen sharing, the new Skype offers a lot more handy functionality and features, including:

Improved chat management: you can sort chats in the drawer and set priorities to chats